New Delhi: The Delhi High Court will on Thursday hear the petitions filed by Google and Facebook challenging the notices for allowing objectionable content on their websites.

Google and Facebook had earlier told the court not to allow the suppression of the right to freedom of speech as democratic India was not totalitarian China. Google had earlier told the Court that blocking was not an option in a democracy.

"The issue relates to a constitutional issue of freedom of speech and expression and suppressing it was not possible as the right to freedom of speech in democratic India separates us from a totalitarian regime like China," advocate NK Kaul, appearing for Google India, told Justice Suresh Kait.

Facebook too had noted that it already has rules of blocking and removing content, whenever specific matters are brought to its notice. Both websites are challenging a trial court's order to prosecute them.

IBN Live January 19^th 2012.